This theory about Jony Ive’s AI hardware device seems increasingly likely

When Jony Ive and Sam Altman teased their upcoming AI hardware device, we noted how mysterious they were being about its form factor.

While some were suggesting that it was a wearable, I said I felt pretty sure it wasn’t, and that’s now been confirmed by a court filing. A 9to5Mac reader last month made a plausible suggestion, and the latest development seems to me to add weight to the idea …

What we knew before the court filing

Both Ive and Altman had long made it clear their device wasn’t a phone. It would have been pretty astonishing to see the ex-designer of the iPhone decide to go head-to-head with Apple on that, so that was no surprise.

Speculation had turned to smart glasses, which seem to be gradually emerging as the favourite for the next hardware device to gain traction. However, Altman specifically ruled that out.

The teaser video deliberately revealed almost nothing, but did suggest it was a completely new AI hardware form never seen before. As I said at the time, that ruled out a badge, a smartwatch, a smart ring, or in-ear headphones.

Ming-Chi Kuo suggested it was a pendant, but that seemed unlikely to me.

The video makes the claim that they really are creating something(s) genuinely new. Honestly, if you say all that and then launch a watch or a pendant, the internet is going to come down on you so hard …

A wearable has now been ruled out

Court documents revealed yesterday specifically say that the device is not a wearable.

 Per Ten’s declaration to the court, their first future AI product “is not an in-ear device, nor a wearable device.”

What seems plausible is … a smart pen

Altman reportedly said this to OpenAI staff:

It will be unobtrusive, able to rest in one’s pocket or on one’s desk, and will be a third core device a person would put on a desk after a MacBook Pro and an iPhone.

9to5Mac reader Thomas responded by saying that sounded like a pen.

I usually have a pen in addition to a computer and smartphone on my desk. I’d say a smart pen.

That hadn’t occurred to me because pens don’t really exist in my world – about the only time I use one is filling in a landing card when travelling; all my notes are in digital form. But I said at the time that it did seem plausible to me.

Would fit the bill of a device you can carry in your pocket and also place on a desk, and he is a fountain pen guy …

Since a wearable is now definitively excluded, this seems to me to be increasingly likely. Sure, smart pens exist in the form of devices which use a camera to see what you’re writing and then create a digital copy – as well as capturing audio. The Livescribe LivePen is one of the best-known examples.

But nobody has yet created an AI device in pen form. Imagine carrying one in the top pocket of a jacket. In that form, with a camera in the pen-clip, it could act as a wearable – able to see your surroundings, and clearly hear your voice with the microphone in a similar position to a lapel mic – without technically being one.

It’s also something which could be very naturally transferred to a dock on your desk, with a modern take on an old-fashioned pen stand.

A third core device someone could put on a desk alongside their MacBook and iPhone? Check. Not a wearable, but could act very much like one? Check. Pens are a thing for Jony Ive? Check.

Does it seem plausible for you? Please share your thoughts in the comments.

Highlighted accessories

• Livescribe LivePen
• Anker 511 Nano Pro ultra-compact iPhone charger
• Spigen MagFit case for iPhone 16e – adds MagSafe support
• Apple MagSafe Charger with 25w power for iPhone 16 models
• Apple 30W charger for above
• Anker 240W braided USB-C to USB-C cable

Photo: Norbert Levajsics on Unsplash (expanded with generative AI)

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